Peptidyl arginine deiminase 2 (PADI2)-mediated arginine citrullination modulates transcription in cancer

Abstract

Protein arginine deimination leading to the non-coded amino acid citrulline remains a key question in the field of post-translational modifications ever since its discovery by Rogers and Simmonds in 1958. Citrullination is catalyzed by a family of enzymes called peptidyl arginine deiminases (PADIs). Initially, increased citrullination was associated with autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, as well as other neurological disorders and multiple types of cancer. During the last decade, research efforts have focused on how citrullination contributes to disease pathogenesis by modulating epigenetic events, pluripotency, immunity and transcriptional regulation. However, our knowledge regarding the functional implications of citrullination remains quite limited, so we still do not completely understand its role in physiological and pathological conditions. Here, we review the recently discovered functions of PADI2-mediated citrullination of the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II in transcriptional regulation in breast cancer cells and the proposed mechanisms to reshape the transcription regulatory network that promotes cancer progression. ; This work was supported by Spanish MEC (SAF2016–75006), the Catalan Government (2017–2019 SGR 747_MBeato), and the European Research Council Synergy Grant "4DGenome" (609989). Also, we acknowledge the support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, "Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa" and the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya"